Breast pumps are mechanical devices that extract milk from the breasts of a lactating woman. Breast pumps may be manually powered or electrical powered. Breast pumps extract breast milk by creating and applying a vacuum to the woman's breast. This process causes short and long term discomfort to the user.
Breastmilk is milk produced by the breasts (or mammary glands) of a human female for her infant offspring. Breastmilk is the most superior primary source of nutrition for newborns before they are able to eat and digest other foods; older infants around six months of age and toddlers may continue to be breastfed, in combination with other foods when solid foods may be introduced.
Breastmilk offers benefits for both mother and baby. Breastmilk is easy for the baby to digest, which promotes more frequent eating due to faster digestion. It is associated with a decrease risk of diabetes and celiac disease. Benefits for the mother include better uterine shrinkage, decreased risk of breast cancer and postpartum depression. It may also be a bonding experience for mother and child, and can be less expensive than infant formula. Breastfeeding may also decrease the risk of obesity in adulthood and improved cognitive development.
To maintain a continued process of feeding an infant or child breastmilk in an infant condition/situation where breastfeeding would be unavailable (for any reason) or a maternal condition/situation where extraction of breastmilk is necessary or stimulation to increase or management of decreasing a milk supply is desired or mobilization of sedentary breastmilk (in the case of plugged ducts, mastitis, breast abscess) is necessary, the mother would utilize a breast pump to extract breastmilk from the breast and store the extracted breastmilk for feeding later using a bottle or other implement.
The production and lactation process employs glands and ducts. Lactation describes the secretion of breastmilk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. The process can occur with almost all post-pregnancy female mammals, although it predates mammals. In humans the process of feeding breastmilk is also called breastfeeding or nursing.
Breastfeeding or other breastmilk delivery processes can encounter any of a number of issues. It is common for many women to have engorgement and/or a plugged duct at some point breastfeeding. Engorgement is a painful condition of breast congestion due to a failure to properly breastfeed or overproduction of milk supply. A plugged milk duct feels like a tender and sore lump in the breast. It is not accompanied by a fever or other symptoms. It happens when a milk duct does not properly drain and becomes inflamed. Then, pressure builds up behind the plug, and surrounding tissue becomes inflamed. A plugged duct usually only occurs in one breast at a time. In some instances, a ducted duct may turn into a breast infection called mastitis and in severe cases, may lead to breast abscess.
Therefore, a process enhancing a process of producing, increasing or managing a decrease in breastmilk production, and/or mobilizing/extracting/collecting breastmilk from a breast is desired. The desired process should be effective while remaining comfortable to the user.